The present invention relates to loading pins for reaction nozzles and, more particularly, to improved loading pin configurations for securing the reaction nozzles against the retaining surfaces of the carrier with sufficient force to maintain the design amount of twisting in the airfoil section.
A conventional turbine structure includes a rotor having a plurality of rotating blades (buckets) mounted thereto. The blades are mounted in rows to extend radially outward from an outer surface of the rotor. Typically, the blades in a given row are identical to each other but the rotating blades of one row will differ in length and/or shape from those of the other rows spaced therefrom. Each rotating blade has a foil portion that extends radially outwardly from the rotor and a base portion for mounting the blade to the rotor. To that end, the base portion includes a root received in a correspondingly shaped groove.
A stationary casing is coaxially supported around the rotor and has a plurality of stationary blades (nozzles) arranged in rows to alternate with the rows of rotating blades. All stationary blades include a foil portion extending from the inner surface of the stationary casing and a base portion including a root for being received in a corresponding groove of the stationary casing.
The root of the stationary blade and/or the groove of the stationary housing will be provided with a notch or recess to define a space between the root of the stationary blade and the groove. It is conventional to provide a caulking material or loading pin in the space defined by the notch and/or recess to interconnect the casing and root. Conventionally, the loading pin is formed from brass and is made by machining a surface onto a piece of round stock along its axis so that the pin has a constant cross-section that is generally “D” shaped along its entire length. Thus, conventional loading pins are straight with a machined surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pin.